A Review Of Namiki Yukari Royale In Vermillion(Red) Urushi

[sannidh]

A wait longer than words can define, an Emperor in Red singing a glistening rhapsody, and then a Yukari dazzling in Royale Red glory. The pens, an encompassment of elegance of words, combined with precision of maki-e artisans have been unsurpassed. The Yukari did anxiously waited in my hands to have it's first sip of ink and I had same thoughts with what if clauses! Before getting the Yukari, this is a must read-review by FPNer shuuemura, which is a rather poetic series of pictures with practical words, comparing two pilot beauties in black urushi.

This pen, one can find ideal for everyday carry to write or to keep admiring the marvel it is! The doubly magnified and magnificent emperor would be more suitable for the latter though. Having said that, when both are together, it’s more fulfilling than a sumptuous meal.

PS. Google says Yukari in Japanese means Affinity (上記) and is feminine by gender.

In case you are looking for a review of the Yukari Royale or the Emperor (sized pen), the below links redirect to the necessarily ‘unnecessary’ eye-candies on a blogger optimized view

 

The Yukari Royale Review

 

The Namiki Emperor Review

 

A BRIEF HISTORY

 

The Namiki Yukari Royale more or less derives itself from the 80th Anniversary fountain pen (with only 1918 produced) aka the ShiSen, which was launched in 1998. The cap band was then imprinted with four mythical creatures - Dragon, Phoenix, Tiger and XuanWu (Tortoise).

The band decorated with the Shijin (four gods) was finished in Togidashi maki-e. The Chinese fable of these creatures goes like this - Each mythical creature is supposed to guard one particular Earth direction and is Harbinger of a particular season. They are respectively, Shujaku - the red phoenix of the South (Summer), Byakko - the white tiger of the West (Autumn), Genbu - the black tortoise of the North (Winter) and Seiryu - the blue dragon of the East (Spring). The latter four are the Buddhist guardians of the four directions who serve Lord Taishakuten (who represents the center), and are associated with China’s Theory of Five Elements.

The 80th Anniversary pen is rather excellently reviewed here by RLD.

And later, in 2005, another 50 Seki Shun LE pieces (branded as Dunhill Namiki) were made by Pilot/Namiki for the Elephant & Coral Store which are still available. The clip matches the colour of the main finish in the earlier editions, something which may or may not appeal to all of us.

 

URUSHI

 

Urushi as you may know is the otherwise poisonous sap of the urushi or lacquer tree (Toxicodendron Vernicifluum) which grows in Japan, China, and Korea and is primarily brown in colour. The sap of this tree polymerises to form a hard, durable, plastic-like substance, when exposed to moisture/air. Liquid urushi can be applied to multiple materials like wood, metal, cloth, resin, ceramics or ebonite as opposed to the best available synthetic lacquers. When it solidifies, it turns into a very hard coating that is waterproof and protects the coated object from effects of fungus, ambient chemical reactions at surface due to heat or humidity or even from caustic acids. By mixing pigments into cured urushi, colored urushi such as black or shu (red) are made. With natural exposure to air and ultraviolet light (extended UV exposure ends up in discolouration), the urushi layers gradually increase in transparency and the material gradually unveils shades of original bright colours within.

 

Like the Emperor, the Yukari Royale also comes in a spacious wooden box, made of traditional Paulownia wood. The box is protectively packaged inside a cardboard box. I had to let go of the box, while someone hand-delivered the pen, along with the accessories!

 

The model number of the pen, in this case FNK-128S-<R/B>-<F/FM/M/B> contains the launch price, colour and nib width. The 128 refers to the list price of JPY 128,000 whereas the third digit R/B refers to the red/black urushi.

 

THE TORPEDO

 

This Lacquer No.#20 model comes in two standard finishes - Black & Vermillion (Urushi) with gold plated clips. The brass body feels comfortable in hand, from dual perspectives of dimensions and weight.

The torpedo shaped pen in Vermillion/Red is adorable in both light and shadow, and when light reflects through layers of urushi, it renders itself an electric red appearance. I believe the brass substrate is partly responsible for its bright hues compared to a relatively darker scarlet hue off the Emperor’s ebonite. The expected fit & finish seem impeccable. The simplistic yet elegant design comes with two golden accents, provided deftly by the traditional triangular shaped tension fit clip with a sphere and a thin gold ring at the cap lip. Again there is a marked absence of any other decoration like a cap band or ring or anything else on the entire pen, extending infinity to modes of artistic convergence.

Vermillion is considered as an auspicious colour throughout East Asia, where it’s culturally imbibed. It has four synthetic & natural shades as of today: Red-Orange[sRGB (255, 83, 73)], Orange-Red[sRGB (255, 69, 0)], Plochere[sRGB (217, 96, 59)] and Chinese Red[sRGB (170, 56, 30)]. The shades/hue of the pens in red urushi might vary.

 

The cap finds itself after two turns, revealing a nib with the modern Mt.Fuji inscription. The seamless grip shows a pronounced taper starting from the barrel and ends up with a smoothly carved out bump, rendering continuity. The cap threads on the barrel are carved out with artistic finesse, deftly spaced and carved out of brass. The barrel at the other end leads leisurely to the smoothest tail.

The brass cap again displays the most subtle art, sans any discernible extravagance. It carries the same perseverance and focus with a fluid like finish. The finish is impeccable with a parabolic finial and with colours hovering between bright and dark red, with the play of light. The clip is traditional triangular Pilot with a sphere at the end, inscribed with Namiki with the ‘Isosceles Triangle within a Pentagon’ logo. There is a thin gold ring at the cap lip, the only adornment than the golden clip. There is a alphanumeric code inscribed on the upper base of the clip, where it delves into the cap.

 

FILLING SYSTEM - ‘CON-70 ZINDABAD’

 

The section unscrews from the barrel with three and half turns, with a metallic clink, given the metallic threads on both the section and the barrel. This exposes the golden metallic threads of the section, which would otherwise remain ever hidden! A special CON-70 converter, in black, is pushed inside.

The inner barrel carries the opposite metallic threads. With a short black coating near the threads which contacts with the section, the rest of the brass barrel is all exposed metal on the inside.

The pen can take all pilot converters CON-20/40/50 (0.4-0.5 mL) & CON-70 (1 mL) along with pilot proprietary cartridges (0.9 mL). I have used the included ‘special black’ CON-70 converter, which has a push button filling mechanism. Mind you, the ink bottle with have some froth during the otherwise fun filling exercise. Although, for Yukari I have always directly filled the converter from an eye dropper!

 

NIB WITH THE ‘OVAL’ BREATHER HOLE

 

The nib with the Yukari Royale is 18k, Size#20 (similar to Pilot#15) and it comes in four stock widths - F, FM, M & B, across Japan and other distribution countries. Inscribed upon it, is the symbol of Mt. Fuji and the upper part does seems symbolic of the snow caps! Comparatively the nib weighs a tad more than a usual pilot#15 nib (0.78g vs 0.70g), but at the same time it is much less wide at the shoulders.

The oval breather hole rests within the snow caps. Below the snow, etched are the Namiki Logo (Isosceles triangle inside a Pentagon), Namiki, gold alloy specs (18k-75%) and Nib width <M>

On the left the #20 nib carries the Namiki Logo with Ste PP-F hallmark and on the right it carries a simple date stamp. The red plastic feeder does converge with the overall color of the pen, though I would have preferred a similarly urushi coated feeder, which only the Emperor has! May be it’s a feed size limitation, may be Pilot doesn't want to spend more money, I have no idea. The moderately spaced fins ensure levelling ambient air pressure and give you a good buffer, my experience says it’s a tad better than the usual pilot feed. You can see the three different feeds, Size#50 Emperor, Size#20 Yukari Royale & the Size#15 Custom 823, side by side.

 

PHYSICS AS RELATIVELY IT IS

 

The lacquer somewhat helps in keeping the pen warm which is otherwise metallic, and renders it comfortable for writing. The pen is deftly balanced for writing, even for extended use. The grip, smooth & soothing, showcases both utility and elegance at the same time. I do not post the pen as the cap is not as inlaid with as much felt/velvet as the Emperor. Figures for weight and dimensions run below for the technically minded ones.

• Length closed ~ 14.9 cm
• Length open ~ 13.4 cm
• Grip Diameter ~ 1.1 cm
• Nib Leverage ~ 2.4 cm
• Weight (without ink) ~ 45 g
• Weight (without cap) ~ 27.4 g

 

Capped, uncapped pictures with a Pilot Custom 823 run below for your reference. There is an Emperor posing, just to highlight its relative significance

The uncapped Emperor without weighs around 31 grams and the Yukari with an unfilled converter weighs around 27 grams. And this is one of the most comfortable pens, I found.

 

ECONOMIC VALUE

 

The Yukari Royale retails at around USD 1200 in the US, and you can find it at similar prices in Japan. I was able to source the pen at a good bargain.

Logically the economic value should be equal to salvage value of the pen after a few years of use and I don't think the price will vary by much even after few years of use, given that someone finally decides to sell it off. Having said that, even though the pen is one of its kind, you should give it a serious thought. It will result in a fair amount of money trapped within the urushi layers!

 

FINAL WORDS IN WRITING

 

The medium nib is graced with a super wet flow, which might put a few of my Pelikans to utter shame! The nib is as smooth as I want it to be, with a slight hint of control, evident in all pilot gold nibs, strictly speaking. I feel that there is some characteristic spring and softness because of the size & shape of the nib, and it does open up with a bit of pressure. The verticals grow thicker with pressure, and this nib runs a tad thicker than a usual pilot medium nib. No skips with fast or normal writing. It writes pretty similar at whether held at a high angle or a low angle. A relatively wet Sailor Nioi-Sumire ink takes around 55 seconds to dry completely on Tomoe River paper with the #20 medium nib.

Thank you again for going through the review.

You can find other pen and paraphernalia reviews here.

 

REFERENCES

 

Urushi

FPN Thread on Care for Urushi lacquered pens

Pilot Custom 823 Review

The Namiki #50 Emperor Review

Edited May 13, 2017 by sannidh

[antichresis]

WOW

[maverink]

nice to see your review of the yukari royale sonik

i will keep an eye for this pen when i visit japan next month.

[Henricum_Tropen]

One day, when I win the Lotto, I'm going to buy a Namiki Emperor, with Maki-e.

[Mintbug]

I just don't get it. I am really into Japanese fountain pens but I do not see where the price comes from. You get red Urushi pens from 400 onwards. So you pay for the golden cap ring and the red feed. Its still a fabulous pen and I would love to have one but I dont get it.

[nekomuffchu]

What a wonderful and comprehensive review. You made my day.

[mulrich]

Nice review and nice pen but it just makes me like the emperor more. The red Urushi feed on that looks awesome.

[Lince]

Beautiful pictures and writing. Lovely pen.

[JuInd]

Thanks for a nice review; now I'd like to ask an off topic question, is the feed of #50 Emperor ebonite or plastic?

[prashant.tikekar]

Thanks for a nice review; now I'd like to ask an off topic question, is the feed of #50 Emperor ebonite or plastic?

AFAIK it is plastic with one side Urushi coating for Urushi model.

In few high end Maki-e models, it is ebonite.

Edited May 16, 2017 by prashant.tikekar

[sannidh]

WOW

 

 

nice to see your review of the yukari royale sonik

i will keep an eye for this pen when i visit japan next month.

thanks ravi...all the very best for your pen hunt

 

One day, when I win the Lotto, I'm going to buy a Namiki Emperor, with Maki-e.

 

Me too

 

 

 

What a wonderful and comprehensive review. You made my day.

 

thank you

Nice review and nice pen but it just makes me like the emperor more. The red Urushi feed on that looks awesome.

 

Yes you are right... The emperor feed looks truly superb even if it's made from plastic

Thank you

Beautiful pictures and writing. Lovely pen.

 

Thank you

 

Thanks for a nice review; now I'd like to ask an off topic question, is the feed of #50 Emperor ebonite or plastic?

 

Thanks

It's plastic. Most modern Namiki#50 feeds are plastic, as per pilot's message.

The earlier manufactured ones may still be carrying ebonite feeds

[sannidh]

I just don't get it. I am really into Japanese fountain pens but I do not see where the price comes from. You get red Urushi pens from 400 onwards. So you pay for the golden cap ring and the red feed. Its still a fabulous pen and I would love to have one but I dont get it.

 

I agree and don't agree with you (coz I had the same feeling, used to scoff at these pens, rationality is anyway not a factor now as we both know)

Yes, the red-845 is a great pen to go with and fits the budget well. You can also refer to this excellent review by shuuemura on 845+YR.

Having said that, on seeing/holding these pens, you will realize the workmanship of namiki is much different than many mass produced pens with urushi work. Whether it's makes up for the differential or not, depends on you completely. But again, we left rationality when we started talking about 400 + pens

[Exlaminis]

A lovely review to read, and thank you for sharing it with us, sannidh! I find it interesting that the Emperor and the Yukari Royale you have are different reds, but they're both nice. My Yukari Royale has a lacquered black feed, but this feature probably only comes paired with the two-tone nib on the maki-e models. I was pretty surprised to see it, since I had heard the Yukari Royale did not have a lacquered feed.

 

Perhaps one day I will have a maki-e Emperor as well. Possibly a flat top model. There's an allure about that nib...

 

I just don't get it. I am really into Japanese fountain pens but I do not see where the price comes from. You get red Urushi pens from 400 onwards. So you pay for the golden cap ring and the red feed. Its still a fabulous pen and I would love to have one but I don't get it.

 

I think this confusion with where the price and the product come together is applicable to nearly any pen in the $1000 category, or even as you say, from the $400 category.

There's a point where a lot of the price starts elevating the product into perceived 'luxury' status and the advantages of more expensive pens start becoming slimmer compared to the already competent pens of half the price.

 

Having tried multiple brands of maki-e and urushi pens, and also $1000 pens from other brands, I feel that I can more easily accept the price of Namiki at where it is.

You certainly can get red urushi pens at various price points and one of the cheapest options would be Nakaya. Nakaya is more experimental with their urushi than Namiki is, with far more options in terms of colour, with choices of kuro-, aka-, midori-, ao-tamenuri and more. That's the advantage of Nakaya over the more conservative nature of Namiki's designs, but where Nakaya falls short of Namiki is in the quality of their lacquering and in their precision. I have seen defects in Nakaya's lacquer, which some would say is just 'wabi-sabi,' but I haven't come across that from Namiki, where many have commented that the lacquering is flawless.

 

In construction, the Namiki is different to Nakaya, which might as well be a lacquered 3776 or something similar (I know that this doesn't apply to all models in the lineup, such as the Dorsal Fin, Decapod or even the Long Cigar). The Yukari Royale is not based on the Pilot pens, unlike what happens with Sailor's maki-e (which uses the 1911 or the King of Pen), and the combination of urushi on the brass body feels more solid when compared to urushi on resin. It has a pleasant balance and solid feel, with a unique nib and feed. Nakaya's nibs are Platinum nibs with a different stamp. In comparing the Nakaya to Namiki, I would say that Nakaya feels like a very well put together handmade pen, but the Namiki feels like a precise machined pen. The seams where the pieces come together can be a bit deceptive, in a way not unlike how the Lamy 2000's piston is hidden. In addition, whilst I like the look of Nakaya's roll stoppers, I would not buy one of their pens with a clip or a roll stopper, simply because of how they seem to be unable to insert the clip/roll stopper without cutting off the finial on the cap. It leaves a visible seam which detracts, in my opinion, from the otherwise unbroken look of the pen. I've also tried the Sailor pens and was completely unimpressed. That said, the nib options Sailor offers are unique and fascinating, so I would love to get one.

 

That is why I feel the Namiki is worth it, since it isn't just a lacquered version of a pre-existing pen. I rank the value of lacquered pens over those purely of resin, celluloid or metal, even of those in the same price bracket, because it feels that the lacquered pens have greater artisanal value. Between lacquered pens, it becomes a matter of the quality of the lacquer application and the character of the pen itself. You could lacquer a Montblanc 149, but it would not change that it is a 149.

[sannidh]

A lovely review to read, and thank you for sharing it .....

 

Thanks Exlaminis for your kind comment! As you have said, there is always an allure of the two-tone Emperor nib, couldn't agree more

 

And thanks for adding your experience about the make & value you ascribe to the workmanship of different brands, it sums up many things & is most helpful for many (including me) who continuously weigh their options on going for one of these

[Anders23]

Thanks for the great review!

 

Andy

[dannyboy]

A lovely review to read, and thank you for sharing it with us, sannidh! I find it interesting that the Emperor and the Yukari Royale you have are different reds, but they're both nice. My Yukari Royale has a lacquered black feed, but this feature probably only comes paired with the two-tone nib on the maki-e models. I was pretty surprised to see it, since I had heard the Yukari Royale did not have a lacquered feed.

 

Perhaps one day I will have a maki-e Emperor as well. Possibly a flat top model. There's an allure about that nib...

 

 

I think this confusion with where the price and the product come together is applicable to nearly any pen in the $1000 category, or even as you say, from the $400 category.

There's a point where a lot of the price starts elevating the product into perceived 'luxury' status and the advantages of more expensive pens start becoming slimmer compared to the already competent pens of half the price.

 

Having tried multiple brands of maki-e and urushi pens, and also $1000 pens from other brands, I feel that I can more easily accept the price of Namiki at where it is.

You certainly can get red urushi pens at various price points and one of the cheapest options would be Nakaya. Nakaya is more experimental with their urushi than Namiki is, with far more options in terms of colour, with choices of kuro-, aka-, midori-, ao-tamenuri and more. That's the advantage of Nakaya over the more conservative nature of Namiki's designs, but where Nakaya falls short of Namiki is in the quality of their lacquering and in their precision. I have seen defects in Nakaya's lacquer, which some would say is just 'wabi-sabi,' but I haven't come across that from Namiki, where many have commented that the lacquering is flawless.

 

In construction, the Namiki is different to Nakaya, which might as well be a lacquered 3776 or something similar (I know that this doesn't apply to all models in the lineup, such as the Dorsal Fin, Decapod or even the Long Cigar). The Yukari Royale is not based on the Pilot pens, unlike what happens with Sailor's maki-e (which uses the 1911 or the King of Pen), and the combination of urushi on the brass body feels more solid when compared to urushi on resin. It has a pleasant balance and solid feel, with a unique nib and feed. Nakaya's nibs are Platinum nibs with a different stamp. In comparing the Nakaya to Namiki, I would say that Nakaya feels like a very well put together handmade pen, but the Namiki feels like a precise machined pen. The seams where the pieces come together can be a bit deceptive, in a way not unlike how the Lamy 2000's piston is hidden. In addition, whilst I like the look of Nakaya's roll stoppers, I would not buy one of their pens with a clip or a roll stopper, simply because of how they seem to be unable to insert the clip/roll stopper without cutting off the finial on the cap. It leaves a visible seam which detracts, in my opinion, from the otherwise unbroken look of the pen. I've also tried the Sailor pens and was completely unimpressed. That said, the nib options Sailor offers are unique and fascinating, so I would love to get one.

 

That is why I feel the Namiki is worth it, since it isn't just a lacquered version of a pre-existing pen. I rank the value of lacquered pens over those purely of resin, celluloid or metal, even of those in the same price bracket, because it feels that the lacquered pens have greater artisanal value. Between lacquered pens, it becomes a matter of the quality of the lacquer application and the character of the pen itself. You could lacquer a Montblanc 149, but it would not change that it is a 149.

 

I am fortunate to own pens from both Namiki and Nakaya and love them. But you're spot on target in distinguishing the qualitative differences. Thank you for your very thoughtful and sensitive comments!

[BRBA]

Thanks for the wonderful review, Sannidh. The photos and comparison with the Emperor have been very useful.

Edited May 27, 2017 by BRBA

[BRBA]

A lovely review to read, and thank you for sharing it with us, sannidh! I find it interesting that the Emperor and the Yukari Royale you have are different reds, but they're both nice. My Yukari Royale has a lacquered black feed, but this feature probably only comes paired with the two-tone nib on the maki-e models. I was pretty surprised to see it, since I had heard the Yukari Royale did not have a lacquered feed.

 

Perhaps one day I will have a maki-e Emperor as well. Possibly a flat top model. There's an allure about that nib...

 

 

 

I think this confusion with where the price and the product come together is applicable to nearly any pen in the $1000 category, or even as you say, from the $400 category.

There's a point where a lot of the price starts elevating the product into perceived 'luxury' status and the advantages of more expensive pens start becoming slimmer compared to the already competent pens of half the price.

 

Having tried multiple brands of maki-e and urushi pens, and also $1000 pens from other brands, I feel that I can more easily accept the price of Namiki at where it is.

You certainly can get red urushi pens at various price points and one of the cheapest options would be Nakaya. Nakaya is more experimental with their urushi than Namiki is, with far more options in terms of colour, with choices of kuro-, aka-, midori-, ao-tamenuri and more. That's the advantage of Nakaya over the more conservative nature of Namiki's designs, but where Nakaya falls short of Namiki is in the quality of their lacquering and in their precision. I have seen defects in Nakaya's lacquer, which some would say is just 'wabi-sabi,' but I haven't come across that from Namiki, where many have commented that the lacquering is flawless.

 

In construction, the Namiki is different to Nakaya, which might as well be a lacquered 3776 or something similar (I know that this doesn't apply to all models in the lineup, such as the Dorsal Fin, Decapod or even the Long Cigar). The Yukari Royale is not based on the Pilot pens, unlike what happens with Sailor's maki-e (which uses the 1911 or the King of Pen), and the combination of urushi on the brass body feels more solid when compared to urushi on resin. It has a pleasant balance and solid feel, with a unique nib and feed. Nakaya's nibs are Platinum nibs with a different stamp. In comparing the Nakaya to Namiki, I would say that Nakaya feels like a very well put together handmade pen, but the Namiki feels like a precise machined pen. The seams where the pieces come together can be a bit deceptive, in a way not unlike how the Lamy 2000's piston is hidden. In addition, whilst I like the look of Nakaya's roll stoppers, I would not buy one of their pens with a clip or a roll stopper, simply because of how they seem to be unable to insert the clip/roll stopper without cutting off the finial on the cap. It leaves a visible seam which detracts, in my opinion, from the otherwise unbroken look of the pen. I've also tried the Sailor pens and was completely unimpressed. That said, the nib options Sailor offers are unique and fascinating, so I would love to get one.

 

That is why I feel the Namiki is worth it, since it isn't just a lacquered version of a pre-existing pen. I rank the value of lacquered pens over those purely of resin, celluloid or metal, even of those in the same price bracket, because it feels that the lacquered pens have greater artisanal value. Between lacquered pens, it becomes a matter of the quality of the lacquer application and the character of the pen itself. You could lacquer a Montblanc 149, but it would not change that it is a 149.

Thanks for sharing your experience and bringing out a bit on the Nakaya beautifully. On similar lines, I didn't find some of the Nakaya different from a 3776 in terms of the nib and the ink fill. This sometimes feels like I am writing with a 3776 and to have such price differential between a Nakaya and a 3776 makes me wonder if it's worth it. This, I believe gives an edge to the Namiki.

[da vinci]

Thank you for an excellent review. Interesting that the Yukari Royale is not an eye dropper- not a bad thing in my view. What is special about the CON 70 included with the pen?

[sannidh]

Thanks for the great review!

 

Andy

 

Thank you Andy

 

Thanks for the wonderful review, Sannidh. The photos and comparison with the Emperor have been very useful.

 

Glad that you found the comparison pics useful ! Thanks